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Biomedical subjects

P Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to P Johnson.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Studies in cholestasis of pregnancy. IV. Serum lipids and lipoproteins in relation to duration of symptoms and severity of the disease, and fatty acid composition of lecithin in relation to duration of symptoms.

Pregnant women with pruritus and with cholestasis of pregnancy verified from the medical history and by the presence of lipoprotein-X in serum have been studied. Thirty-nine patients were investigated for serum lipids (cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides), serum lipoproteins (high-density-lipoproteins cholesterol and estimated low-density-lipoproteins cholesterol), and for hematological data (serum iron and serum iron binding capacity), in relation to duration of pruritus. In 28 patients the serum lecithin concentrations and fatty acid compositions were also analysed. Severity and duration of the disease appeared to influence the lipid/lipoprotein metabolism. The results support the hypothesis of an abnormal reaction of liver metabolism to estrogens in the initial stage of cholestasis of pregnancy.

Cholestasis↗
PubMed1975

Treatment of pruritus in cholestasis of pregnancy with a new anion exchange resin (Secholex).

Anion exchange resins form a non-absorbable complex with bile acids in the intestine, thus removing bile acids from the enterohepatic circulation and facilitating bile acid excretion in the faeces. A new bile acid sequestrant (PDX chloride, Secholex) was evaluated for the relief of pruritus in cholestasis of pregnancy (CP) in 31 women. CP was verified by the presence of the abnormal lipoprotein X in serum and the clinical series was divided into two degrees of severity, pruritus gravidarum (PG) and hepatosis of pregnancy (HP) based on liver function tests. Eleven of 31 women discontinued treatment because of gastro-intestinal side effects. Of the 20 women continuing the study for more than one week, all with a milder form of cholestasis, PG (n=8), experienced relief of pruritus, while some relief was obtained in 75% of the women with HP. After up to 4 weeks administration of Secholex, no obvious interference with fat absorption was evident judging from the serum lecithin content of linoleic and arachidonic acids. A reduction in serum folic acid might indicate an interaction in folic acid absorption. An expected reduction in serum cholesterol levels which are characteristically increased in CP, was not achieved by the administration of Secholex.

Anion Exchange Resins↗
PubMed1975

Studies in cholestasis of pregnancy. V. Gallbladder disease, liver function tests, serum lipids and fatty acid composition of serum lecithin in the non-pregnant state.

Women from an earlier series of cholestasis of pregnancy (CP) were called for a retrospective study to consider presence of gallstones in the gallbladder (evaluated by cholecystography), liver function tests, serum lipids and lipoproteins and the relative fatty acid composition of serum lecithin (as determined by GLC). The attendance in the retrospective study was 60%. Estimated on the total series (assuming that none of the non-responders would have a positive X-ray), the incidence of gallbladder disease was 23.7%. Among women with previous cholestasis of pregnancy and with a positive X-ray finding no characteristic changes in liver function tests or serum lipids were revealed. The women with positive X-ray had, however, a lower alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol than women with negative X-ray. A characteristic finding among women with positive X-ray was furthermore the low relative content of palmitic acid (16:0) in serum lecithin. Also women with negative X-ray had a lower relative content of palmitic acid than controls. It is suggested that the low palmitic acid content is expressive of an influence on liver lecithin synthesis pathways and that the serum lecithin fatty acid composition reflects similar changes in bile lecithin. The "basic defect" in CP influencing liver lecithin synthesis might be the primary cause for disturbed cholesterol solubility in bile and of the frequent occurrence of gallstones in CP.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Studies in cholestasis of pregnancy. III. Fatty acid composition of serum phosphoglycerides.

The influence of cholestasis of pregnancy (CP) on liver lipid synthesis as reflected by the composition of serum phosphoglycerides was studied in 28 pregnant women in the last trimester by means of gas-liquid-chromatography (GLC). All patients complained of pruritus and had immunologically detectable lipoprotein-X (LP-X) in serum. Twenty women with uncomplicated pregnancies served as a control series. In lecithin, low palmitic acid (16:0) and high oleic acid (18:1 (n-9)) were found which appear to be characteristic for CP. The increased oleic acid suggests an enhanced liver lecithin synthesis through the cytidine-diphosphate diglyceride pathway. Measurement of the concentrations of lecithin from the gas-liquid-chromatograms was made possible by the use of an internal standard fatty acid added, which gave a linear relation to direct determination of lecithin. For further studies of influences of cholestasis of pregnancy on the relative fatty acid composition, lecithin was chosen because differences between lecithin (PC) and phosphoglycerides (GPL) were found, evidently due to mutual variations among the three components in GPL (lecithin, cephalin and lysolecithin).

Cholestasis↗
PubMed1975

Studies in normal pregnancy. I. Serum lipids and fatty acid composition of serum phosphoglycerides.

Elevated serum lipids in normal pregnancy have been confirmed by the present study. In normal pregnancy the relative fatty acid composition of serum lecithin was characteristically high in palmitic acid (15:0). From the present knowledge of lipid metabolism in pregnancy there is no obvious explanation for this finding. Furthermore, the serum lecithin relative fatty acid composition mirrored a possible dietary influence with a decrease in the essential fatty acid, linoleic (18:2) and arachidonic (20:4) acids and of the sum of the fatty acid of the linoleic acid series (n-6). This expression for a relative deficiency in essential fatty acids might be due to changes in dietary habits during pregnancy, e.g. an increase in particularly refined carbohydrates. Reciprocal changes in oleic (18:1) and linoleic (18:2) acids further support this suggestion. An expected increase in serum lecithin containing arachidonic acid (20:4)-due to estrogen influence on liver lecithin synthesis-could not be verified in week 34 of the normal pregnancy.

Adolescent↗